By CaroI love to travel but it doesn’t mean that I have to look like I am going skiing all the time. Merino wool dresses are one of the most versatile piece of clothing to travel with or everyday life. It is easy to layer up with a merino tank top or camisole or a base layers.
A very functional merino dress will allow you to switch from the hike to the restaurant in no time and enjoy wandering around the cities or the hanging at the beach in a comfortable fashion. There is no reason why our lifestyle and daily piece of clothes should not be as functional as the best outdoor gear. Merino allows all of that: it folds small, creates no wrinkles, dries quickly, and does not hold odor.
This is why you will find below my top three picks for women’s merino wool dresses for based on my 5+ years of fanatical merino wool research and personal nomadic lifestyle experience.
Top Everyday Merino Wool Dresses
Best merino wool beach dresses
Icebreaker Women’s Tech Lite Tank Dress
- Fabric: 87% merino wool, 13% nylon for strength
- Fabric weight: 150mg
- Care: Machine wash warm
- Price range (estimate): $89 – $100
Simple straight cut with a knee length. It is a little longer than most beach dress. To facilitate walking and moving, it opens on the side a little higher. The Tech Lite collection is Icebreaker collection for traveling and backpacking clothing. It is their most lightweight fabric, with some additional nylon wrapped in merino wool for increased durability and strength. I have it in dark grey but love the stripe version they have added!
Icebreaker Tech Lite SS V Stripe Dress
- Fabric: 87% merino wool, 13% nylon for strength
- Feature: V-neck
- Price range (estimate): $68 – $120
The same as above but with the exact opposite cut: a very short dress to casually where with flipflops at the beach or the pool while keeping your shoulders covered. Also available with black and grey stripes.
Fancier merino wool dresses
Wool& Brooklyn Wrap Dress
- Fabric: 75% merino wool, 21% nylon, 4% spandex
- Material: 200 gsm, 17.5 micron wool (the lower the softer)
- Features: reversible neckline; knee length so can be wear with or without tights; exists in 3 colors
- Care: machine wash cold, line dry
- Price range (estimate): $128
The Wool& Brooklyn Wrap Dress is one of those well designed dress. It is flattering on all silhouettes including XXL and can be dress up or down thanks as it is reversible and feature either a wrap decolte or a boat line.
Also available in black and green. Perfect for that spontaneous date while we are travelling.
See on Wool&
Boat Neck Maxi Dress from Smittenmerino
- Fabric: 95% Merino wool, 5% stretch
- Feature: max length
- Made for: travel chic
- Care: machine washable
Maxi dress have an instant wow effect. Combined with the refine boat neck, we can see ourselves throwing this dress on over over our bikini and peruse the local market after an afternoon at the beach.
Smittenmerino has the biggest range of merino wool dress I could find online! Originally from Australia, they now ship worldwide. Yay!
Check price on Smittenmerino
Ophelia Wrap Dress from Smittenmerino
- Fabric: 95% Merino wool, 5% stretch
- Feature: wrap
- Made for: dinner party on a cruise
- Care: machine washable
Wrap is another way for dresses to add an instant wow effect, simply because it is very flattering at the waist. The fact that is black makes it an instant chic. Tip: always keep an eye on Smitten merino sale section to get a great deal on fancy merino wool dresses and be the most fashionable minimalist traveller ever.
Check price on Smittenmerino
Sporty look merino wool dresses
Smartwool Women’s Basic Merino 150 Dress
- Fabric: 87% merino wool, 13% nylon for strength
- Price range (estimate): $90
If there can be only one, there is no better thing than THE little black dress when we can’t bring much with us. Very easy to dress up or down: casual with sandals or tennis shoes, dressy with wedge shoes, and it will also look great with tights and boots in the winter.
We have put them in the sporty category because it has a racer back, so it doesn’t go well with all bras.
Various print options are available
Icebreaker Merino Cool-Lite Yanni Hooded Dress
- Fabric: 61% merino wool, 19% tencel, 14% nylon, 6% lycra
- Fabric weight: 150 Ultralight
- Care: Machine wash
- Feature: hood and pockets
- Price range (estimate): $60 – $130
A sporty yet fashionable dress that can be wear with runner and be your most comfy outfit in your adventures. Pockets are very handy to keep your mobile phone close and never miss that Instagram shot!
Also great long sleeves merino wool dresses
Wool& Clara Shirt Dress
- Fabric: 100% merino wool
- Material: 205 gsm, supersoft 16.5 micron Twill (the lower the softer)
- Features: Pockets! Available in 3 colors
- Care: machine wash cold, line dry
- Price range (estimate): $188
This is the finest dress made by Wool& in terms of merino wool material. 16.5 micron on a 100% merino made clothing is really really soft!
Smitten Merino Wrap Dress – Long Sleeved
- Fabric: 95% Merino wool, 5% spandex
- Care: Machine washable cold, lay flat to dry in the shade
- Feature: Sleeves to be set at 3/4
I love this mid season merino wool dress that I have been wearing all Spring and for chilly Summer nights out. Very simple yet a classic. The V-Neck and wrap are just so effortlessly flattering.
https://www.rei.com/rei-garage/product/856374/patagonia-merino-sweater-dress
i had one of these patagonia merino wool dresses in black …it was perfect….till the moths got it 🙁
Scoop-neck; 3/4-sleeves, dress length hits above the knees wish someone would make it !!!
maybe alibaba ?
https://guide.alibaba.com/shop/patagonia-womens-merino-sweater-dress_69657746.html
Fine-gauge merino wool in a jersey knit is super soft
Merino wool wicks away moisture and breathes to regulate temperature for outstanding comfort in a variety of conditions
Scoop-neck; 3/4-sleeves
The Patagonia Merino Sweater dress length hits above the knees
Closeout
Imported.
The new Rowena Swing Dress from Wool& could be a good replacement. It is more of a boat neck and has normal long sleeves but a similar style.
Do you think the Rowena would be too warm for a hot climate with the long sleeves? I want a multipurpose wool dress for travel (I’m going for work so I need to look nice) but I’ll be in Mexico at the hottest time of the year.
Hey Rebekah! Rowena shouldn’t be too warm. We sent a group of friends to Joshua Tree (in October) wearing the dresses and they came back saying that the striped dresses did the best job in cooling them off, in comparison to the solids. Please let me know if you have any questions!
Merino Country in Australia makes a fabulous wrap dress that doubles as a cardigan. I wear mine all year (in the Pacific NW), but wish they came in lighter colors for summer.